Kernersville mother charged with felony child abuse of 19-month-old

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Heather Lynn Richard, 21, of Kernersville

Kernersville mother charged with felony child abuse of 19-month-old

Heather Lynn Richard, 21, of Kernersville

FORSYTH COUNTY, N.C. — A Kernersville woman was charged Thursday with seven counts of felony child abuse after her 19-month-old son was taken to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center with severe injuries, authorities said Friday.

The Winston-Salem Journal reported that Heather Lynn Richard, 21, of the 800 block of Dunlap Road, was accused of inflicting serious bodily and physical injuries on her son by injuring the toddler’s small intestine, which required surgery, breaking both of his legs and forearm, causing his brain to bleed, breaking his ribs and bruising his pancreas, arrest warrants say.

Wake Forest Baptist didn’t have any information on the toddler Friday, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Kernersville police officers were called to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center Sunday to investigate the toddler’s injuries, which were deemed suspicious, police said. The child was injured over the period of time from Feb. 1 to April 21, according to the warrants.